Intra-line fishing rod

ABSTRACT

In an intra-line fishing rod, a rod tube comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix, and is reinforced by reinforced fibers. A guide is formed integrally with and projects from an inner surface of the rod tube. A cushioning portion is formed between the guide and a body layer of the rod tube which is composed predominantly of axially-extending fibers, and cushioning portions are formed respectively at front and rear sides of the guide connected to the inner surface of the rod tube. The cushioning portions are smaller in bending modulus than a bulge portion region of the guide for contact with a fishline, and the inner surface is formed with a mirror-like smoothness.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an intra-line fishing rod having improvedproperties for passing the fishline therethrough. For the intra-linefishing rod, annular fishline guides or a spiral fishline guide areprovided within a rod tube which is formed with an improved innersurface which reduces interior frictional resistance on the fishline.This invention also relates to an improved method by which a rod tubecomprises a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin as a matrix,and is reinforced by reinforced fibers, whereby the fishline guidemember is formed on the inner surface of the rod tube.

b) Description of Related Art

Conventional intra-line fishing rods suffer from numerous drawbackswhich reduce rod strength, hinder performance, and tend to damage thefishline.

Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 4-341133 discloses a fishingrod in which annular fishline guides for a fishline, made of amonofilament of fibers, are molded integrally on an inner peripheralsurface of a rod tube so as to enhance the sliding movement of thefishline. Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 5-88259discloses a tubular member such as a rod tube in which a prepreg forconstituting the rod tube is wound on a resin tape wound spirally on ametal core, so that a spiral protuberance (guide for a fishline) isintegrally formed at the same time, using this prepreg.

However, when the guides are to be formed integrally on the innersurface of the rod tube, a prepreg is wound on a metal core, and isheated while being pressurized by a tightening tape. In the constructiondisclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 4-341133,because of the presence of the guides, the fibers are arranged in agenerally meandering manner in the direction of the axis of the rodtube, or the flow of a resin of the prepreg becomes uneven. In theconstruction disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model UnexaminedPublication No. 5-88259, the presence of the resin tape, likewise causesthe fibers to be arranged in a generally meandering manner in thedirection of the axis of the rod tube, and causes the flow of a resin ofthe prepreg to become uneven. As a result, the strength of the rod tubeis reduced, and is liable to be broken.

Furthermore, the guides formed integrally on the inner surface of therod tube exert a great influence on the strength of the rod tube whenthe rod tube is flexed, and the flexural strength of the rod tube islowered by the concentration of stresses depending on the configuration,construction and material of the guides, which leads to a possibilitythat the rod tube is broken during the fishing operation. Namely, it isthought that in the conventional rod tubes, sufficient consideration hasnot been given to the details of the guides and those portions of therod tubes in the vicinity of the guides.

Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 1-304836 discloses anintra-line fishing rod having a spiral fishline guide provided therein.This construction, in which the continuous spiral fishline guide isprovided within a rod tube, is simpler as compared with a constructionin which a plurality of annular fishline guides are provided within arod tube.

However, the spiral guide has an end portion, and when the fishline isto be passed through the rod tube, the fishline is caught by this endportion and often damaged, and even if the fishline is not damaged orcut, the resistance to the passage of the fishline is increased. In sucha case, the fishline guide causes reduced efficiency and performance ofthe intra-line fishing rod.

In an intra-line fishing rod, a fishline is passed through a narrow boreor space in a rod tube, and generally the fishline moves in contact withan inner surface of the rod tube. Therefore, if the inner surface iscoarse or rough, a frictional resistance to the fishline is increased,so that the fishline is damaged by increased frictional heat, and alsothe inner surface of the rod tube is susceptible to damage. If the innersurface is thus damaged, the fishline is damaged by it.

Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 5-268858 discloses anintra-line fishing rod in which a resin layer containing fluoroplasticparticles or a resin layer of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethyleneis formed on an inner surface of a rod tube so as to prevent a fishlinefrom adhering to the inner surface of the rod tube and also to smoothlyguide the fishline.

In the fishing rod disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined PublicationNo. 5-268858, a material, having a good water repellency and a lowfriction coefficient, is used, and therefore water drops hardly depositon the inner surface of the rod tube, and the resistance to the fishlineis not increased by water drops. However, even with the use offluoroplastic particles having a low friction coefficient, if the innersurface of the rod tube is coarse, this inner surface still remainscoarse even when a mixture of such fluoroplastic particles and a resincoating is coated onto the inner surface of the rod tube, and as aresult the resistance to the passage of the fishline is increased asdescribed above.

In the case where a film of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene iswound on a metal core, and then is baked together with a prepreg, theinner surface of the resultant rod tube is coarse depending on a coarsesurface of the metal core. As a result, the frictional resistance on thefishline passing through the rod is increased.

With regard to prior art methods for forming intra-line fishing rods,Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 4-341133 discloses a methodin which annular fishline guides each made of a monofilament of fibers,are formed integrally on an inner surface of a rod tube so as to enhancethe sliding movement of the fishline and also to prevent the innersurface of the rod tube from being damaged by wear. More specifically,the monofilaments of fibers are wound on suitable portions of an outerperipheral surface of a mandrel, and then a prepreg is wound thereon toform the rod tube of an integral construction according to an ordinarymethod. There is also disclosed a method in which step portions areformed in a mandrel, and annular fishline guides are positioned at thesestep portions, respectively, and then a prepreg is wound thereon.

With this conventional method, however, the inner surfaces of theannular fishline guides are held in intimate contact with the surface ofthe mandrel, and therefore when the prepreg is wound thereon, theprepreg is radially outwardly convex in the vicinity of the annularfishline guides, and the other portions of the prepreg is held incontact with the mandrel along the surface of the mandrel. Namely, inthe molding of the rod tube using the prepreg, the inner surface of therod tube coincides with the inner surfaces of the annular fishlineguides in the axial direction, and the annular fishline guides will notproject from the inner surface of the rod tube. During the hot molding,resin flows from the prepreg into the surface of the mandrel, so thatthe annular fishline guides are embedded in the resin. As a result, theannular fishline guides are not exposed to the inner surface of the rodtube.

Even if the inner surface of the annular fishline guide is partlyexposed, burrs of the resin are usually formed around the thus exposedportion. In this condition, if the fishline is guided through the rod,the fishline may be damaged by the burrs of the resin, thus the stablefishline guide function can not be performed.

Even in the case where the positioning step portions are provided on themandrel, the annular fishline guides are similarly embedded in the resinsince the monofilament of fibers has a relatively small diameter.

In addition to these problems, there is another problem that the prepregis outwardly convex in the vicinity of the annular fishline guides asdescribed above, so that the fibers meander, which reduces the strengthof the rod tube.

The need therefore exists for an intra-line fishing rod and method formanufacturing the same which overcomes the drawbacks outlined above withregard to the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an intra-linefishing rod of a high strength in which a guide is projectingly formedintegrally on an inner surface of a rod tube, and those portions of therod tube in the vicinity of the guide are prevented from being reducedin strength.

To achieve this objective, the present invention provides an intra-linefishing rod wherein a rod tube comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix,and is reinforced by reinforced fibers; and a guide is formed integrallywith and projects from an inner surface of the rod tube; characterizedin that a cushioning portion is formed between the guide and a bodylayer of the rod tube which is composed predominantly ofaxially-extending fibers; and cushioning portions are formedrespectively at front and rear sides of the guide connected to the innersurface of the rod tube; and the cushioning portions are smaller inbending modulus than a bulge portion region of the guide for contactwith a fishline.

It is noted that the term “bending modulus” means a resistance force(rigidity) to the bending of the rod tube in a flexing direction perunit transverse area of the rod tube.

In the invention described above, the cushioning portions with a smallbending modulus are formed respectively between the guide and the bodylayer and at the front and rear sides of the guide. Therefore, when therod tube is flexed, the resistance due to the flexural rigidity of theguide is reduced, and the concentration of stresses on the rod tube isprevented, and the strength of the rod tube is increased.

The present invention also provides an intra-line fishing rod wherein arod tube comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix, and is reinforced byreinforced fibers; and a guide is formed integrally with and projectsfrom an inner surface of the rod tube; characterized in that the guidecomprises a synthetic resin as a matrix; a bulge-portion region of theguide for contact with a fishline has a higher content of areinforcement; and either synthetic resin regions or syntheticresin-reinforcement mixture regions having a higher synthetic resincontent are provided respectively at front and rear sides of the bulgeportion region and between the bulge portion region and a body layer ofthe rod tube having the fibers oriented generally in the direction of anaxis of the rod tube.

In the present invention, with respect to the guide formed of FRP or thelike, the bulge portion region contains a higher reinforcement content,and that portion between the bulge portion region and the body layer ofthe rod tube, as well as those portions disposed respectively at thefront and rear sides of the bulge portion region, has a higher syntheticresin content. With this construction, the guide is connected to the rodtube at its low-rigidity portions lower in flexural rigidity than thebulge portion region. Therefore, when the rod tube is flexed, theresistance due to the flexural rigidity of the bulge portion region isreduced, and the concentration of stresses on the rod tube is prevented,and the strength of the rod tube is increased.

The invention further provides an intra-line fishing rod wherein a rodtube comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix, and is reinforced byreinforced fibers; and a guide is formed integrally with and projectsfrom an inner surface of the rod tube; characterized in that the guidehas an outer side surface extending generally along the inner surface ofthe rod tube disposed at the front and rear sides of the guide, and inthat a number of the guides may be formed of a synthetic resin, and maybe spaced at short intervals along a length of the rod tube.

With this arrangement, if the guide is formed of a synthetic resin, thearea of contact of the guide with the fishline is not constant, althoughif only one guide is provided, the guide can be easily damaged by thefrictional resistance developing between the guide and a fishline, andhence is susceptible to wear. However, if a number of guides areprovided at short intervals at a small-diameter portion of the rod tube(as at the end portion adjacent to the tip top of the rod tube), theabove wear can be prevented. And besides, since the guides are formed ofthe synthetic resin, they will not offer a large resistance to theflexing of the rod tube, and the concentration of stresses is prevented,and the strength of the rod tube is increased.

The present invention further provides an intra-line fishing rod whereina rod tube comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix, and is reinforced byreinforced fibers; and a guide is formed integrally with and projectsfrom an inner surface of the rod tube; characterized in that a curvedsurface of a bottom portion of the guide connected to the inner surfaceof the rod tube is defined by a concavely-curved surface which isgentler than a convexly-curved surface covering the top and a sidesurface of the guide.

With this arrangement, the guide is formed into a suitableconfiguration, and the bottom portion of the guide connected to theinner surface of the rod tube is defined by the concavely-curved surfacewhich is gentler than the convexly-curved surface in the vicinity ofbulge portion region. Therefore, the bottom portion of the guide portionis progressively decreasing in thickness, so that the concentration ofstresses is reduced when the rod tube is flexed, and the strength of therod tube is increased.

The invention also discloses an intra-line fishing rod wherein a rodtube comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix, and is reinforced byreinforced fibers; and a guide is formed integrally with and projectsfrom an inner surface of the rod tube; characterized in that the guidespirally extends continuously; and a distal end portion of the guide isdensely arranged in contact with the inner surface of an end portion ofthe rod tube over a predetermined length along an axis of the rod tube.

With this construction, the distal end portion of the spiral guide isdensely arranged in contact with the inner surface of the end portion ofthe rod tube over a predetermined length along the axis of the rod tube.With this construction, even if stresses concentrate on the end portionof the rod tube in the vicinity of the guide, the end portion of the rodtube is prevented from damage since its strength is increased. Forconnection purposes, the end portion of the rod tube is originallydesigned to have a greater strength than the other portions, and thiscan be achieved by densely arranging the guide, and besides the fishlineis prevented from being caught by the end of the guide.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an intraline fishingrod in which a fishline can be smoothly passed through a rod tube, andthe fishline and the inner surface of the rod tube are hardly damaged.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides anintra-line fishing rod characterized in that an inner surface of thatregion of a rod tube where a fishline guide is not provided, and afishline is to be passed, or that surface of a fishline guide forcontact with the fishline which fishline guide is formed on and projectsfrom the inner surface of the rod tube, is formed into a mirrorsurface-like smooth surface.

The surface through which the fishline is to be passed, or the surfacefor contact with the fishline is formed into the mirror-like smoothsurface. With this construction, the resistance to the passage of thefishline is reduced, and the friction is reduced, so that the fishlineand the inner surface of the rod tube are less liable to damage. Theterm “mirror-like smooth surface” means a surface having surfaceroughness of not more than about 2μ, and preferably not more than about1μ. Here, so-called undulations, waving at a larger pitch as comparedwith the surface roughness, are not taken into consideration.

It is further an object of this invention to provide a construction inwhich an end portion of a continuous guide is so treated as to prevent afishline from damage and also to reduce passage resistance.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides anintra-line fishing rod characterized in that an annular guide member isprovided at an end of a continuous guide mounted within a rod tube.Examples of the continuous guide include a single spiral guide, acombination of spiral guides, and a guide structure having a pluralityof annular guides interconnected by a wire member or the like in alongitudinal direction. The annular guide member can be formed bytightly winding the end portion of the continuous guide. The annularguide member can also be formed by a separate guide member connected tothe continuous guide.

In this construction, the annular guide member is provided at the end ofthe continuous guide, and a fishline is guided by the annular guidemember at the end of the continuous guide. Therefore, the fishline willnot be caught by this end, and the resistance to the passage of thefishline is prevented from increasing.

The invention also provides an intra-line fishing rod in which the innerdiameter of the annular guide member is smaller than the inner diameterof that portion of the continuous guide disposed adjacent to the annularguide member.

In this construction, the inner diameter of the annular guide member issmaller than the inner diameter of that portion of the continuous guidedisposed adjacent to the annular guide member. Therefore, even when thefishline is shaken, the shaking is reduced by this annular guide member.As a result, the contact of the fishline with the inner surface of therod tube is reduced, and the fishline is prevented from contacting waterdrops on this inner surface, and therefore the resistance to the passageof the fishline is reduced.

It is further an object of this invention to provide a method ofproducing a fishing rod, in which a fishline guide is stably exposed toan inner surface of a rod tube, while preventing the meandering offibers, and a fishline can be smoothly guided, thus reducing theresistance to the passage of the fishline.

According to a first aspect of the invention to achieve this objectivein which a fishline guide is stably exposed to an inner surface of a rodtube, while preventing the meandering of fibers, there is provided amethod of producing an intra-line fishing rod having a rod tube whichcomprises a resin as a matrix, and is reinforced by reinforced fibers, afishline being passed through the rod tube; the method beingcharacterized by the steps of:

winding a thick winding member on a surface of a mandrel in such amanner that a gap for receiving a fishline guide member is formedbetween opposite side edges thereof;

covering the gap with a thin soft member;

providing the fishline guide member in and along the gap through thethin soft member;

winding a fiber-reinforced prepreg, impregnated with or containing theresin, on the mandrel over the fishline guide member, and applying heatand pressure to the prepreg to form the rod tube; and

subsequently withdrawing the mandrel, and removing the thick windingmember and the thin soft member.

In this first method of the invention, the thick winding member is woundon the mandrel in a manner to provide the gap for receiving the fishlineguide member. The fishline guide member is thus provided in and alongthis gap, and the prepreg is wound over the fishline guide member, andis molded to form the rod tube having the fishline guide memberprojecting from the inner surface of the rod tube. In this method, theresin flows from the prepreg into clearances (in the above gap) betweenthe fishline guide member and the side edges of the thick windingmember, and when this resin is set, the fishline guide member is fixedlysecured to the rod tube. However, the resin forms corners or angles onthe surface of the fishline guide member, which leads to a possibilitythat the fishline is damaged or cut upon contact with such corners.Therefore, in this invention, the above gap is covered with the thinsoft member, and the fishline guide is provided along the gap throughthis thin soft member. With this arrangement, the fishline guide member,covered by the resin flowed into the region around the fishline guidemember, has such a cross-sectional shape that that surface of thefishline guide member projecting radially inwardly from the innersurface of the rod tube is smooth. As a result, the fishline guidemember can guide the fishline smoothly. The winding member and the softmember can be easily removed after the mandrel is withdrawn.

According to a second aspect of the invention to achieve this objectivein which a fishline guide is stably exposed to an inner surface of a rodtube, while preventing the meandering of fibers, there is provided amethod of producing an intra-line fishing rod having a rod tube whichcomprises a resin as a matrix, and is reinforced by reinforced fibers, afishline being passed through the rod tube; the method beingcharacterized by the steps of:

winding a thick winding member on a surface of a mandrel in such amanner that opposite side edge portions thereof overlap each other;

covering a step portion, formed between the boundary between theoverlapping portions and open portions of the winding member, with athin soft member;

providing a fishline guide member in and along the step portion throughthe thin soft member;

winding a fiber-reinforced prepreg, impregnated with or containing theresin, on the mandrel over the fishline guide member, and applying heatand pressure to the prepreg to form the rod tube; and

subsequently withdrawing the mandrel, and removing the thick windingmember and the thin soft member.

In this second method of the invention, instead of the gap in the firstmethod, there is utilized the step portion formed at the boundarybetween the overlapping portions and the open portions of the windingmember, and this step portion is covered with the thin soft member, andthe fishline guide member is provided in and along this step portionthrough the thin soft member, and the prepreg is wound thereon. By doingso, any corner is prevented from being formed. The other procedure isthe same as that of the first method.

According to a third aspect of the invention to achieve this objectivein which a fishline guide is stably exposed to an inner surface of a rodtube, while preventing the meandering of fibers, there is provided amethod of producing an intra-line fishing rod having a rod tube whichcomprises a resin as a matrix, and is reinforced by reinforced fibers, afishline being passed through the rod tube; the method beingcharacterized by the steps of:

winding a winding member on a surface of a mandrel, the winding memberhaving a groove formed in its surface for receiving a fishline guidemember;

providing the fishline guide member in and along the groove;

winding a fiber-reinforced prepreg, impregnated with or containing theresin, on the mandrel over the fishline guide member, and applying heatand pressure to the prepreg to form the rod tube; and

subsequently withdrawing the mandrel, and removing the winding member.

In this third method of the invention, the groove is formed in thewinding member, and this winding member is wound on the mandrel, andthen the fishing guide member is provided in and along this groove, andthe prepreg is wound thereon, and the molding is effected. As a result,the fishline guide member is fixedly secured to the rod tube by thefluidized resin of the prepreg, and the fishline guide member stablyprojects from the inner surface of the rod tube.

If the groove has such a cross-section that the resin flowed into thegroove forms corners, the groove is covered with a thin soft member muchsmaller than the depth of the groove as in the first and second method,and then the fishline guide is provided along the groove through thisthin soft member. By doing so, any corner is not formed.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparentwith reference to the following drawings and the detailed descriptionthereof provided below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of a first embodiment of an intra-linefishing rod according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion, of thefishing rod of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion designated at III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, butshowing another embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, butshowing a further embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, butshowing a still further embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of a furtherembodiment of an intra-line fishing rod of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a view showing one method of producing an intra-line fishingrod of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a partly longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of arod tube of an intra-line fishing rod of the invention according to asecond embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion designated at X in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, and more specifically alongitudinal cross-sectional view of an important portion of anintra-line fishing rod according to a further embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 12 is a side-elevational view of an intra-line fishing rodillustrating a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a view showing a front end portion of a spiral guide mountedwithin a rod tube of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a view showing a front end portion of a spiral guidereplacing that of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view showing a mechanism for positioning the insertedspiral guide of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a view showing a modified spiral guide;

FIG. 17 is a view showing a rear end portion of a spiral guide;

FIG. 18 is a view of a rear end portion of a spiral guide replacing thatof FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a view showing a rear end portion of a modified spiral guide;

FIG. 20 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line XX—XXof FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a view showing a rear end portion of a modified spiral guide;

FIG. 22 is a side-elevational view showing one step of a first method ofproducing an intra-line fishing rod according to the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXIII—XXIII ofFIG. 22, showing a condition after a heating operation;

FIG. 24 is a side-elevational view showing one step of a second methodof producing an intra-line fishing rod according to the invention;

FIG. 25 is a side-elevational view showing one step of a third method ofproducing an intra-line fishing rod according to the invention;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged, transverse cross-sectional view of a windingmember used in the method of FIG. 25; and

FIG. 27 is a plan view of a modified winding member used in the thirdmethod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A first preferred embodiment of the present invention will now bedescribed in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one preferred embodiment of an intra-line fishing rod ofthe. invention. A butt rod 10 and a tip rod 12 of a rod tube are formedor molded by winding and baking a fiber-reinforce prepreg (This term isused in a broad sense including a thermoplastic resin) which is formedby impregnating high-strength fibers of carbon or the like with athermosetting resin (e.g. an epoxy resin) or by mixing a thermoplasticresin (e.g. polyamide) with such high-strength fibers. The butt rod 10and the tip rod 12 are serially connected together. A reel-mountingportion 16 is provided on the butt rod 10, and a reel 26 of the doublebearing type is mounted on this reel-mounting portion 16. A fishline 28is inserted into the interior or bore of the rod tube through afishline-introducing portion 24 provided at a front end portion of thebutt rod 10, and is passed therethrough to the exterior through a topguide 14 provided at the top of the tip rod 12.

A front grip portion 20A is mounted on the butt rod 10 at the front sideof the reel-mounting portion 16, and a rear grip portion 20B is mountedon the butt rod 10 at the rear side of the reel-mounting portion 16. Abutt cap 22 is threadedly connected to the rear end of the butt rod 10.Reference numeral 18 denotes a trigger which receives an angler's fingerduring use.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of a rear portion of the tip rod12, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the tip roddesignated at III in FIG. 2. A plug 12E of metal or a synthetic resin isthreaded into the rear end of the tip rod, and a guide ring G1 of aceramics material is fixedly mounted on an inner peripheral surface ofthe plug 12E. A spiral guide 30 is formed integrally on the innerperipheral surface of that portion of the rod tube 12 disposed forwardlyof the plug 12E. The spiral guide is one example, and annular guidesindependent of one another may be provided on this inner peripheralsurface at predetermined intervals. The spiral guide may wind in eitherof a right direction and a left direction, and right-spiral guides andleft-spiral guides may be combined. The guide may be provided over theentire length of the rod tube 12, or may be provided at part of the rodtube 12.

The rod tube 12 has a pair of reinforcing layers 12A and 12B (in whichthe fibers are oriented generally in the circumferential direction)formed at its outer and inner peripheries, respectively, and the rodtube 12 also has a body layer 12H (in which the fibers are orientedgenerally in the axial or longitudinal direction) sandwiched between thetwo reinforcing layers 12A and 12B.

The guide 30 comprises a synthetic resin as a matrix, and a reinforcingmaterial HB of carbon fibers, ceramics fibers, glass fibers or metalfibers which are oriented mainly in the longitudinal direction of theguide 30. The outer side or surface of the guide 30 is straight as at30H in FIG. 3 which shows a transverse cross-section thereof. Thereinforcing material HB is provided mainly at a bulge region of theguide 30 for contact with the fishline, and is hardly provided at theouter side of the guide. The outer side portion of the guide 30 and itsfront an rear portions are defined by a synthetic resin layer JS madepredominantly of a synthetic resin.

The resin content in the region where the reinforcing material HB isprovided is 30˜60 wt. %, and this resin content is somewhat larger thanthe resin content of the rod tube. This facilitates the molding of thesynthetic resin layer JS, and also prevents voids from developing in theinner surface of the guide 30. Further, cushioning portions 32 of asynthetic resin are provided at the front and rear sides of the guide30, respectively, and connect the guide 30 to the inner surface of therod tube 12, the cushioning portion 32 being decreasing in thicknessprogressively away from the guide 30. The guide 30 is formed integrallywith the rod tube in such a manner that the outer side of the guide 30is slightly embedded in the reinforcing layer 12B. Therefore, thoseportions or regions 12 b of the reinforcing layer 12B facing the outerside of the guide is smaller in thickness than the other regions.

Generally, the reinforcing layer 12 b, the reinforcing layer 12Badjacent to the guide, and the synthetic resin layer JS are smaller inbending modulus than the bulge region in which the reinforcing materialHB is provided, and perform a cushioning function together with thecushioning portions 32, thereby preventing stresses from beingconcentrated when the rod tube is flexed. If the synthetic resin,forming the synthetic resin layer JS and the cushioning portions 32, isof the same type as the synthetic resin forming the rod tube 12 (thatis, if the rod tube is made of an epoxy resin, then the synthetic resinlayer JS and the cushioning portions 32 are made of an epoxy resin), thestrength of the integral structure is increased.

If the resin used for the guide 30 is of the type (e.g. a thermoplasticresin) which will not melt at the temperature of hot molding of the rodtube, reinforced fibers SL of the body layer 12H, which are orientedmainly in the axial direction, are prevented from meandering at the timeof integrally joining the guide 30 to the rod tube-forming prepreg,since the outer side 30H of the guide 30 is straight as described above.This increases the strength of the rod tube.

The strength of the rod tube of this embodiment at the time of bendingis 15˜20% higher as compared with a construction in which any cushioningregion (similar to the cushioning regions 32), and an outer side of aguide is not straight but is outwardly convex.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing another preferredembodiment. A reinforcing material HB is distributed generally uniformlyin a bulge region A1 (Although only a left half thereof is designated, asymmetrical right half is included) of a guide 30 for contact with thefishline and its inner portion, as described above. That portion of theguide containing the reinforcing material HB has a generally oval outershape. In this embodiment, the other portions of the guide 30, that is,regions A2 and A3 (provided at the front and rear portions of the guide30) and inner portions thereof, define cushioning portions 32 made of asynthetic resin. The area covering the region A1 to A2 is convex awayfrom the inner surface of the rod tube to secure a certain width ofcontact with the fishline (Most of the contact region is defined by theregion A1), and the region A3 is concave toward the inner surface of therod tube, and is progressively decreasing in thickness. Preferably, theregion A3 has the concave surface whose curvature is gentler than theaverage curvature of the area covering the regions A1 and A2, so thatthe width L of the guide 30 is increased, and also this is preferablymore than about twice larger than the bulge region A1 (the right andleft portions). A resin layer 33 serving as a cushioning layer isdisposed outwardly of the guide 30, and is formed between a body layer12H and a reinforcing layer 12B. Therefore, the concentration ofstresses are prevented when the rod tube is flexed.

In one method of integrally molding the guide 30, a number of fibers ofthe reinforcing material are combined together into a bundle, and thisbundle is impregnated with a thermosetting resin, and then twisting isimparted to the bundle. As a result, during the hot molding, the resinmelts and oozes out to form the cushioning portions 32 respectively atthe front and rear sides of the guide 30.

FIG. 5 shows a guide 30 formed by a material which will not melt duringhot molding, such as a ceramics material, a metal material, aheat-resistant resin material and a heat-resistant composite material.An outer side or surface 30H of the guide 30 is straight, and isgenerally along an inner surface 12S of an inner reinforcing layer 12Bof a rod tube 12. Cushioning portions 32, connecting the guide 30 to therod tube, are provided at front and rear sides of the guide 30,respectively. These cushioning portions are formed by adding a smallamount of a reinforcement to a synthetic resin. With this construction,the concentration of stresses is prevented when the rod tube is flexed.Since the outer side of the guide is straight, axially-extending fibersof a body layer 12H are prevented from meandering, and therefore thestrength of the rod tube is increased.

In the case of the guide 30 formed by the above heat-resistant syntheticresin, a number of guides 30 need to be spaced at short intervals alongthe rod tube so as to prevent the guide from being rubbed hard by thefishline, thus preventing part of the guide from being excessively worn.

In this and other embodiments, the provision of the reinforcing layers12A and 12B may be omitted, in which case a layer of generallycircumferentially-oriented fibers or a cloth in which some of fibers areoriented in the circumferential direction is usually included in thebody layer 12H.

FIG. 6 shows a guide 30 formed by a resin (e.g. a thermosetting resin)which melts at the temperature of hot molding of a rod tube 12 composedof a body layer. Preferably, an outer side or surface 30H of the guide30 is straight so as to prevent axially-extending fibers of the rod tubefrom meandering. As described above, the guide 30 of the resin is liableto wear, and the guides 30 are spaced at short intervals along the rodtube (In the case of the spiral guide, the distance between the adjacentturns thereof is short). In that region closer to the tip rod, a largerflexure must be secured, and therefore the guide of the synthetic resinwith a low flexural rigidity is preferably applied to such a regioncloser to the tip top. This portion of the rod tube is so designed thatit is easily flexed for relieving purposes upon reception of a largeload from the fishline, and therefore this portion is not so hard rubbedby the fishline as that portion of the fishing rod near tofishline-introducing portion, so that even the guide of the syntheticresin can smoothly guide the fishline. Thus, the guide 30 of thesynthetic resin formed integrally with the rod tube 12 will not offer alarge resistance to the flexing of the rod tube, and the concentrationof stresses is prevented. Wear-resistant grains may be added in such anamount that the flexural rigidity is not adversely affected. The guide30 may be formed utilizing the synthetic resin used in the prepreg forthe rod tube 12.

FIG. 7 shows a spiral guide 30 formed by a bundle of carbon fibers orthe like. The guide 30 is formed on a rod tube 10′ in a bulged manner,and a distal end portion of the guide 30 is wound tightly or denselyover a predetermined length of a front end portion (used for connection)of the rod tube, thereby reinforcing this front end portion. The distalend portion of the guide 30 may be wound either as it is or with thefibers thereof disintegrated. Preferably, the inner surface of the woundportion is tapering forwardly in the telescopic type, and is straight inthe serially-connected type. Thus, the end portion of the rod tube(particularly, the joint end portion) which should originally bereinforce can be reinforced utilizing the spiral guide, so that the rodtube of a greater strength can be provided. The fishline may be caughtby the end portion of the spiral guide 30 if this end portion is notsuitably treated, and in such a case the resistance to the fishline maybe increased, and the end portion of the guide 30 may be damaged.However, with the above treatment, the fishline is prevented from beingcaught, and the durability of the guide is enhanced. This reinforcementcan, of course, be achieved using any other suitable material such as aprepreg sheet and a tape, or the above method and such a reinforcingmethod can be used in combination.

FIG. 8 is a view explanatory of one method of producing an intra-linefishing rod of the present invention. A tape 42 of a predeterminedthickness is wound on a surface of a metal core 40 at predeterminedintervals, and then a thin film 44 of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) orpolyethylene terephthalate (PET) which withstands a heating temperatureis provided over the tape 42, and then a spiral guide G2 is windinglyprovided in a space formed by the wound tape 42. At this time, thethickness of the guide G2 and the thickness of the tape 42 are sodetermined that the outer side or surface of the guide 30 will generallycontact an inner surface of a prepreg P1 (which constitutes a rod tube)to be wound on the outer surface.

When heating the above assembly while applying a pressure, a syntheticresin in the prepregs P1 and P2 flow into gaps SP to form cushioningportions. The synthetic resin thus flows into the gaps SP, and thereforeusually burrs are formed at the front and rear sides of the guide G2.However, because of the presence of the thin film 44, the formation ofsuch burrs is prevented. In the case where this film 44 is not used, thetap 42 is so wound that the edges thereof can firmly contact theopposite sides of the guide G2, thereby preventing the formation ofburrs. Even when the tape 44 is used, it is preferred from the viewpointof burr prevention that the molding is effected with the guide firmlyheld by the tape 42.

In another method, the guide can be formed utilizing the constituentmaterial of the rod tube. More specifically, when a reinforcing layer12B as shown in FIG. 3 is to be formed on an inner surface of a rodtube, this inner reinforcing layer is formed not by a sheet-like prepregbut by a tape-like prepreg smaller in width than such a sheet. In orderthat a guide protuberance can be formed on an inner surface of the rodtube, a tube of silicone or the like, having a spiral groove orindependent annular grooves formed on an outer periphery thereof, isfitted on a metal core, or a heat-resistant resin tape is, for example,spirally wound on the metal core. Then, the above-mentioned tape-likeprepreg is wound on the tube or the tape to form the inner reinforcinglayer 12B and the guide protuberance integrally with each other. Then,this assembly is baked according to a conventional method, and finallythe tube or the resin tape is removed. In this method, the guide can beeasily formed, and also in the tape-like prepreg, reinforced fibers canbe arranged very long along the length of the tape in a generallycontinuous manner, and therefore in the formed guide, the reinforcedfibers corresponding to the above reinforcement are generallycontinuous, so that the guide of a high strength is provided.

The body layer in the tip rod (rod tube) can be formed by the materialsmaller in modulus of longitudinal elasticity as compared with the bodylayer in the butt rod or the intermediate portion of the fishing rod, sothat the flexural rigidity of the tip rod can be smaller. In the case ofthe intra-line fishing rod, the inner diameter of the tip rod can not bemade so small in connection with its relation with the outer diameter ofthe fishline to be passed therethrough. Even in such a case, the tipportion can be flexible.

As is clear from the above description, according to the presentinvention, there can be provided the intra-line fishing rod in which therod tube has the guide formed integrally with and projecting from theinner surface thereof, and the rod tube is prevented from being reducedin strength at those portions thereof where the guide is provided.

A further embodiment of the present invention will now be described infurther detail with reference to FIGS. 9-11.

FIG. 9 is a partly longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of arod tube 110 according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10is an enlarged view of a portion designated at X in FIG. 9. The rod tube110 comprises a rod tube body 110H composed of a prepreg formed byimpregnating reinforced fibers (e.g. carbon fibers or glass fibers) withan epoxy resin or the like. A coating layer 110E is formed on an outersurface of the rod tube body 110H, and a very thin coating layer 110A ofa synthetic resin, metal or ceramics is formed on an inner surface ofthe rod tube body 110H. Thanks to the provision of the very thin coatinglayer 110A, the inner surface of the rod tube is prevented from beingscratched by a rough surface of a metal core when the baked rod tube isremoved from the metal core, thereby preventing the reinforced fibersfrom damage.

The rod tube body 110H is composed of three layers, that is, anintermediate layer 110C having the reinforced fibers oriented generallyin the axial or longitudinal direction, and inner and outer layers 110Band 110D (which have the reinforced fibers oriented generally in thecircumferential direction) formed respectively on the inner and outersurfaces of the intermediate layer 110C. This construction ensures aflexural rigidity of the rod tube, and also increases the strength ofthe rod tube to withstand impact to the rod tube.

For this embodiment, a fishline guide G as shown in FIG. 11 is notprovided on an inner surface 110 of the very thin coating layer 110A atthe rod tube 110 or a front region of the rod tube 110, and a fishline112 contacts the inner surface 110 of the rod tube. Therefore, the innersurface 110S of the rod tube is formed into a mirror-like smooth surfacein order to reduce a resistance of contact of the fishline and also toallow water drops to easily move upon contact of the fishline with theinner surface having the water drops deposited thereon, thereby reducingthe resistance to the fishline.

In the case where the very thin coating layer 110 is made not of amixture material but of a synthetic resin, a resin film is wound on ametal core so as to be disposed inwardly of the prepreg, and the metalcore is removed after baking, and then the inner surface of the rod tubeis polished into a mirror-like smooth surface by buffing, by applyingvibrations to the rod tube after an abrasive material is introduced intothe rod tube material, or by spraying a mixture of an abrasive materialand the air or other liquid onto the inner surface of the rod tubematerial (In the latter two methods, the mirror surface-like smoothsurface is formed by the relative motion between the abrasive materialand the inner surface of the rod tube).

In the case where the very thin coating layer 110A is composed of metalor ceramics, a mirror-like thin film is formed by vapor deposition orthe like on a film-like base having a mirror-like flat, smooth surface,and then this is wound on the metal core to be disposed inwardly of theprepreg. The metal core is removed after baking, and the rod tube havingthe mirror-like smooth surface is obtained. Of course, the mirror-likesmooth surface can be obtained by polishing as described above. Metaland ceramics are harder than the synthetic resin, and has a wearresistance, and therefore are suited for forming the inner surface ofthe intra-line fishing rod through which the fishline is passed incontact with the inner surface.

There may be used other method in which with respect to the finishsurface roughness of the metal core, the surface of the metal core isfinished into a mirror-like smooth surface with four triangular marks,and then the rod tube material is removed after baking, so that theinner surface of the rod tube is formed into a mirror-like smoothsurface. In the conventional finish of the metal core surface, thefinish working has been effected with two or three triangular marks, andthe surface roughness has been 10˜5μ. In order to obtain the finish ofnot more than 2μ and preferably 1˜0.2μ, the finish polishing with fourtriangular marks (the surface roughness is not more than about 0.8μ)should be effected. This surface roughness is determined using themaximum height (indicated in JIS) as a reference, but the averageroughness may be used if the measurement is easier.

In the case where the inner surface layer of the rod tube is composed ofa composite material (such as FRP which is reinforced by reinforcedfibers, and comprises a resin as a matrix, or FRM which is reinforced byreinforced fibers, and comprises metal as a matrix), or where the innersurface of the rod tube is composed of a mixture resin layer containingceramics particles, fluoroplastic particles or metal particles, themetal core is finished into a surface with four triangular marks asdescribed above, and then the rod tube is removed after baking, so thatthe mirror surface-like smooth surface can be obtained.

In the case of FRM, the matrix is the relatively hard metal, andtherefore the surface can be formed by the above polishing into themirror surface-like smooth surface after molding. In the case where thecomposite material (e.g. FRM) having the hard matrix constitutes theinner surface layer of the rod tube, wear by the fishline is prevented,and as a result damage to the fishline is prevented, and also theresistance to the fishline is reduced.

The mirror-like smooth surface can also be formed on the inner surfaceof the rod tube by a method in which a resin film, having such a highmelting temperature that it will not melt at a baking temperature of theprepreg, is preformed into a mirror surface-like smooth surface, andthen it is baked together with the prepreg.

In the case of the mixture resin film containing ceramics particles,fluoroplastic particles or metal particles, the mirror surface-likesmooth surface can be formed on the inner surface of the rod tube by amethod in which the metal core is formed into a mirror surface-likesmooth surface as described above, and then the resin film is wound soas to be dispose inwardly of the prepreg, and then the baking iseffected. In the case of using the matrix resin having such a highmelting temperature that it will not melt at a baking temperature of theprepreg, even if the metal core does not have a mirror surface, themirror surface-like smooth surface can be formed on the inner surface ofthe rod tube by a method in which the mixture resin film is preformedinto a mirror surface-like smooth surface, and then the resin film isbaked together with the prepreg.

A fluoroplastic resin, such as a polymer of ethylene chloridetrifluoride or ethylene chloride tetrafluoride, can be formed on theabove mirror surface-like inner surface to thereby form awater-repellent surface in which the angle of contact of a waterdrop isnot less than 110 degrees. Conversely, an aluminum oxide surface layercan be formed on the inner surface, or a surface active agent can beapplied to the inner surface, thereby imparting a hydrophilic propertyto the inner surface in which the contact angle is not more than 80degrees. With these arrangements, the resistance to the fishline isfurther reduced. Namely, most of the resistance of the water drops tothe fishline is applied when the fishline comes into and out of theinterface between the water drops and the air. Water drops hardlydeposit on the water-repellent surface, and even if the water dropsdeposit on such a surface, they move together with the fishline, so thatthe resistance to the fishline is small. Water drops are liable to becontinuous with one anther on the hydrophilic surface to form a film ofwater thereon, so that the fishline is less liable to come into and outof the interface between the water drops and the air, and the fishlinemoves in the water film, so that the resistance to the fishline isreduced.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the invention, and is an enlargedview similar to FIG. 10. In this embodiment, a spiral fishline guide Gor ring-shaped fishline guides G are projectingly formed on an innersurface of a rod tube. An inner surface GS of the fishline guide G forcontact with a fishline is finished into a mirror surface-like smoothsurface. An inner surface 110S of a very thin coating layer 110A is alsofinished into a mirror-like smooth surface. The fishline not onlycontacts the fishline guide G but also sometimes contacts the very thincoating layer 110A. Therefore, the very thin coating layer 110A isfinished into the mirror-like smooth surface so as to further reduce theresistance to the fishline. However, this embodiment may be of such anarrangement that only the inner surface GS of the fishline guide G needto be finished into the mirror surface-like smooth surface.

For producing the rod tube having the fishline guide (or guides) G, atube of a deformable material (e.g. silicone) with a spiral groove (orring-shaped grooves) of a generally U-shaped cross-section is fitted ona metal core, and an elongate prepreg, having reinforced fibers (e.g.carbon fibers) oriented mainly in a longitudinal direction, is providedalong this groove, and then a very thin film of a synthetic resin iswound thereon, and further a prepreg for forming the rod tube is woundthereon, and then this assembly is pressurized and baked. Then, themetal core is removed, and the tube of the deformable material (e.g.silicone) is deformed and removed. As a result, there is provided therod tube having the fishline guide (guides) formed on and projectingfrom the inner surface thereof. In this case, the outer surface of thedeformable tube, as well as the inner surface of the groove, isbeforehand finished into a mirror surface-like surface, and with thismethod the mirror-like smooth surfaces GS and 110S are automaticallyformed simultaneously with the molding of the rod tube.

When the fishline is passed through the rod tube in which its surface ofcontact with the fishline has thus been finished into the mirror-likesmooth surface, the contact resistance for the fishline is small, andthe resistance offered by water drops is small, and the friction issmall. Therefore, the fishline and the inner surface of the rod tube arehardly damaged. In the above embodiments, the provision of the very thincoating layer 110A may be omitted. The rod tube body 110H may has anyother suitable construction.

The above-mentioned mirror-like smooth surface can be applied to aninner surface of other ordinary fishing rods other than the intra-linefishing rod, and also can be applied to an outer surface of any type offishing rod. Dirt or stain is less liable to deposit on such amirror-like smooth surface, and even if dirt deposits on the surface, itcan easily removed. Therefore, this surface is clean, and a residualoffensive smell due to dirt is eliminated, and the cause of cracks inthe rod tube is eliminated, and therefore there can be provided thefishing rod of a high strength.

As is evidenced by the above description, in this further embodiment ofthe present invention, the surface for contact with the fishline isformed into the mirror-like smooth surface. Therefore, the frictionalresistance upon contact with the fishline is reduced, and even if thefishline contact the surface having water drops deposited thereon, thewater drops are easily moved, so that the influence on the resistance tothe fishline can be reduced. And besides, since the frictionalresistance is small, rubbing will not develop, and frictional heat issmall. Therefore, there can be provided the intra-line fishing rod inwhich the fishline and the inner surface of the rod tube are hardlydamaged.

A further element of the present invention will now be described infurther detail with reference to FIGS. 1-21.

FIG. 12 shows an intra-line fishing rod of the invention. Anintermediate rod 212 is connected to a butt rod 210, and a tip rod 214is connected to the intermediate rod 212. A top guide 216 is mounted onthe tip top of the fishing rod. A reel-mounting device 218 is mounted onthe butt rod 210, and a reel 220 is fixedly mounted on this device 218.A fishline-introducing portion 224 for introducing a fishline 222 intothe fishing rod is provided at a front portion of the butt rod 210. Thefishline 222 is introduced into the interior of a rod tube through thisintroducing portion, and is passed through the front portion of the buttrod, the intermediate rod and the tip rod, and is extended to theexterior through the top guide 216 at the tip top.

In order to prevent the increase of the passage resistance due to thefrictional resistance caused upon contact of the fishline 222 with theinner surface of the rod tube, and also to prevent the increase of thepassage resistance due to contact of the fishline with water dropsdepositing on the inner surface, one spiral guide 226 (an example of acontinuous guide) is provided within the rod tube as shown in FIG. 13,or a plurality of spiral guides twisted in the same direction areprovided within the rod tube, or a braid-like tube, composed of a pairof oppositely-twisted continuous guides, is inserted into the rod tube,or a guide member, having separate annular guide rings interconnected ina longitudinal direction by a bar-like member or the like, is insertedinto the intermediate rod 212 or other rod, and is held or fixed. Inorder that the guide can be inserted and held, the size of thecontinuous guide is so determined that the outer periphery thereof canbe held in contact with the inner surface of the rod tube. It ispreferred from the viewpoint of maintenance of the guide that the guidecan be removably inserted into and held by the rod tube.

For example, the front end portion of the spiral guide (continuousguide) 226 is wound tightly or densely to form an annular guide member226E as shown in FIG. 13. This construction overcomes a disadvantage ofthe prior art in that the fishline becomes caught by this front endportion when the fishline is passed through the rod tube, and thereforethe fishline can be smoothly passed through the rod tube with theconstruction of this invention. In this case, the inner diameter D1 ofthe annular guide member 226E is smaller than the inner diameter D2 ofthat portion of the spiral guide 226 disposed adjacent to this annularguide member 226E. When letting out the fishline as during casting, thefishline is usually passed through the rod tube while being shaken, andthe fishline shaking within the rod tube contacts the inner surfacethereof, and hence contacts water drops deposited on the inner surface,so that the resistance to the passage of the fishline is particularlyincreased. However, if the passage bore is constricted by providing theannular guide member 226E, the fishline is less liable to contact theinner surface of the rod tube, and therefore the passage resistance isreduced. The annular guide member 226E shown in FIG. 13 is provided whenthe spiral guide 226 is made of metal. However, if the spiral guide isformed by a prepreg or the like, the annular guide member (which isprovided at the front end portion), formed by a tightly-wound wireelement, can be formed into a unitary tubular configuration.

The pitch of the spiral winding is at least three times larger than theinner diameter of the rod tube, and is abut 10˜50 mm depending on theinner diameter. Thus, the angle of the spiral winding is 45 degrees ormore (that is, an angle approaching the longitudinal direction of therod tube), thereby preventing the spiral guide from being deformed anddamaged by the friction between the spiral guide and the fishline. Inview of the strength and height of the spiral guide, the diameter of thewire element of the spiral guide 226 is preferably about 0.5˜2 mm.

With respect to the spiral configuration, the loop portions of thespiral guide may be not so extended in the longitudinal direction as inthe above-mentioned guide having the separated annular guide ringsinterconnected by the bar-like member in the longitudinal direction, andthat portion of the spiral guide interconnecting any two adjacent loopportions may be extended in the longitudinal direction.

This spiral guide 226 may be inserted directly into the rod tube, or maybe formed directly on the inner surface of the rod tube. Alternatively,the spiral guide 226 may be inserted into or formed on a cylindricaltubular member which is made of a prepreg, a synthetic resin or thelike, and is inserted into the rod tube. These arrangements can be alsoapplied to constructions shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, and an annular guidemember (component part) 226E′ or other shown in FIGS. 14 and 16 may beformed integrally with the inner surface of the tubular member. Namely,the annular guide member can be formed on the inner surface of the frontend portion of the tubular member, and a guide unit of the cartridgetype having a spiral portion can be provided on the inner surface of theother portion.

In FIG. 14, the annular guide member (component part) 226E′ is attachedto a front end of a spiral guide 226. This annular guide member may befixedly or releasably attached to the spiral guide as described laterwith reference to FIG. 16. This annular guide member comprises a holder230 of a synthetic resin, and a guide ring 228 of ceramics held on theinner periphery of the holder 230. In this case, also, the innerdiameter D1′ of the annular guide member is preferably smaller than theinner diameter D2 of the spiral guide. A longitudinally-extending slitmay be formed in the outer periphery of the holder 230 of the annularguide member 226E′, and with this slit, when the spiral guide 226 isinserted into the rod tube, the holder is slightly contracted radiallyinwardly, and the holder is held on the inner surface of the rod tubebecause of its radially-expanding effect, so that the spiral guide 226is prevented from being easily moved.

In FIG. 15, a rod tube 210′ having a step portion 210D is provided, andthe annular guide member 226E at the front end of the continuous guide226 is held against the step portion 210D, thereby positioning andholding the spiral guide.

In FIG. 16, a continuous guide has an annular guide member 226E at itsfront end, and also has similar annular guide members 226EB and 226ECprovided intermediate the opposite ends thereof. The spiral guide isdivided into guide elements 226A, 226B and 226C, and these guideelements are interconnected through the annular guide members 226EB and226EC to form the continuous guide. In this embodiment, the guideelements and the annular guide members may be completely fixedlyconnected together, or a cylindrical member may be fixedly secured tothe end of each guide element, in which case this cylindrical member isreleasably threaded on the outer periphery of the annular guide member.In another alternative, the end portion of the guide element may bewound into an annular configuration, in which case this annular portionis press-fitted on the outer periphery of the annular guide member, orthe end of the guide element may be press-fitted into a recess formed inthe annular guide member. In this case, also, if the inner diameter ofeach annular guide member is smaller than the inner diameter of theguide element, the fishline is less liable to contact the inner surfaceof the rod tube and the guide element, so that the resistance to theletting-out of the fishline is reduced. In this case, even if the guideelement is not formed of a wear-resistant material such as ceramics,wear of the guide element is reduced if a ring or the like of awear-resistant material is provided on the inner surface of the annularguide member, and the lifetime is prolonged.

In the case where the above continuous guides are formed by a prepregformed by impregnating a bundle or a woven fabric of fibers (e.g. metalfibers, synthetic resin fibers or carbon fibers) with a synthetic resinsuch as an epoxy resin, a wear-resistant material such as ceramics maybe coated onto the inner surface of the continuous guide for guiding thefishline 222 so as to smoothly guide the fishline. With respect to theprepreg, the fibers are more oriented in the direction of movement ofthe fishline in the fiber bundle than in the woven fabric, and thereforewith the prepreg of the fiber bundle, the fishline can be guided moresmoothly. Preferably, in order to prevent noises from being producedwhen operating the fishing rod, a noise prevention film is formed bybonding or the like on that surface of the continuous guide whichcontacts the inner surface of the rod tube when the continuous guide isinserted and held in the rod tube.

In the case where the spiral guide is formed of a synthetic resin or bya prepreg formed by baking, the end portion of the spiral guide isliable to be damaged upon reception of a force from the fishline. Inthis case, if the end portion is reinforced by a reinforcing materialsuch as stainless steel, this end portion can be prevented from damagewithout the annular guide member as shown in FIGS. 13 or 14; however, itis preferred that the annular guide member is provided in order toeffect the smooth passage of the fishline. If a reinforcing member isprovided along the entire length of the spiral guide, or is providedwithin the spiral guide, not only the end portion but also the otherportion (that is, the whole) have the stable strength.

FIG. 17 is a further embodiment of an annular guide member of theinvention provided at the end of the spiral guide. The annular guidemember is provided at the rear end of the spiral guide 226, and thisannular guide member is in the form of a plug 232 of a synthetic resinhaving guide rings 228 of ceramics mounted therein and disposedrespectively at front and rear portions thereof. In this embodiment, theplug 232 also serves as a butt plug, and is adapted to be threaded intoa rear end of an intermediate rod 212. The rear end portion of thespiral guide 226 is received in a spiral groove formed in the outerperipheral surface of the plug 232, and is fixed thereto by an adhesiveor the like. Thus, the rear end portion of the spiral guide 226 is equalin outer diameter to the plug 232. The inner diameter of the guide ring228 is smaller than the inner diameter of the spiral guide 226, and asimilar effect as described above for the front end is achieved.

FIG. 18 shows an assembly replacing the plug 232 of FIG. 17, and thisassembly comprises a rear portion 232 and a front portion 232B. Thefront portion 232B is rotatable relative to the rear portion 232A.

FIG. 19 shows an arrangement in which the front portion 232B and thespiral guide 226 are integrally connected together. More specifically, awide spiral guide 226′ is integrally molded with a front portion 232B′.As in the above embodiments, the inner diameter of the annular guidemember (the inner diameter of a guide ring 228) is smaller than theinner diameter of the spiral guide 226′. Cushioning members 234 arebonded respectively to predetermined portions of the spiral guide 226′at the outer periphery thereof so as to prevent noises which wouldotherwise be produced, for example, because of the presence of a gapbetween the spiral guide and the inner surface of the rod tube.Alternatively, a coating film may be applied. Instead, a tubular memberof a soft resin or rubber, such as a vinyl tube, may be fitted on thespiral guide so as to achieve a cushioning effect. In this case, aplurality of tubular members each having a length corresponding to apitch of the spiral winding may be provided at suitable intervals, orone continuous tubular member may be fitted on the spiral guide. Whensuch cushioning member or members are provided on the continuous guideof the other embodiment, the same effect is achieved.

The front portion 232B′ has a polygonal (hexagonal) transversecross-section as shown in FIG. 20. If this front portion has such a sizethat the corners of this polygon are slightly held against the innersurface of the rod tube when the spiral guide is inserted into the rodtube, or if the inner surface of the rod tube has a polygonal shape, thespiral guide 226′ can be kept twisted a certain angle in aradially-expanding direction or a radially-contracting direction, sothat the gap between the guide 226′ and the inner surface of the rodtube can be adjusted.

In FIG. 21, a coil spring member 236 is connected between a plug 232 anda spiral guide 226. The length of this structure from the plug 232 tothe front end of the spiral guide 226 in its normal condition isslightly greater than the length of insertion of this structure into therod tube. With this construction, when this structure is inserted intothe rod tube, the coil spring 36 is contracted to urge the spiral guide226 forwardly to hold the same against shaking.

In order to prevent the shaking of the spiral guide due to the gapbetween the spiral guide and the inner surface of the rod tube and alsoto prevent noises from being produced when the rod is greatly deformedor flexed by a caught fish, the spiral guide can be made of a shapememory alloy of Ni—Ti, or Cu—Zn—Al, or a shape memory resin. Morespecifically, the outer diameter of the spiral guide is kept large at anordinary temperature during the fishing, and the outer diameter of thespiral guide becomes smaller at a predetermined time higher or lowerthan the ordinary temperature. When the spiral guide made of such ashape memory alloy is to be inserted into the rod tube, the spiral guideis heated into the predetermined higher temperature or is cooled intothe predetermined lower temperature, so that the spiral guide is reducedin outer diameter. In this condition, the spiral guide is easilyinserted into the rod tube. Thereafter, the temperature of the spiralguide rises to the ordinary temperature, the spiral guide is radiallyexpanded to be held in firm contact with the inner surface of the rodtube, thereby preventing the shaking and noises. The shape memory alloysuch as Ni—Ti alloy and the shape memory resin is excellent in corrosionresistance, and is suited for the fishing rod. The shape memory alloy orthe shape alloy resin can be applied not only to the spiral guide butalso to the above-mentioned continuous guides.

As is clear from the above description, in the present invention, theannular guide member is provided at the end of the continuous guide, andtherefore the fishline is guided by the annular guide member, so thatthe fishline will not be caught by this end, and also the resistance tothe passage of the fishline is prevented from increasing.

The inner diameter of the annular guide member can be made smaller thanthe inner diameter of that portion of the continuous guide disposedadjacent to the annular guide member. With this construction, even whenthe fishline is shaken, the shaking is reduced by this annular guidemember. As a result, the contact of the fishline with the inner surfaceof the rod tube is reduced, and the fishline is prevented fromcontacting waterdrops on this inner surface, and therefore theresistance to the passage of the fishline is reduced.

A preferred method of forming the inter-line fishing rod of the presentinvention will now be described in further detail with reference toFIGS. 22-27.

FIG. 22 is a side-elevational view showing one step of a process ofproducing an intra-line fishing rod according to the invention, and FIG.23 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along the line XXIII—XXIIIof FIG. 22, showing a condition after the winding of a prepreg and athermosetting treatment are effected. First, a relatively thick windingmember 320, made of a natural or an artificial material such as leather,silicone, Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) and rubber, is wound on asurface of a mandrel.

The winding member 320 is in the form of a narrow strip, and is spirallywound on the mandrel at such a pitch that a spiral gap SP for receivinga wire-like fishline guide member 324 is formed between opposite sideedges of the winding member 320. Then, a thin soft member 322 of ahighly heat-resistant material, such as polyethylene naphthalate (PEN)and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is applied to cover the spiral gapSP. In this embodiment, to facilitate the winding operation, the thinsoft member 322 is wound over the entire surface of the thick windingmember 320.

A release agent is coated onto the thin soft member 322, and then thefishline guide member 324 is wound along the spiral gap SP. The fishlineguide member 324 comprises carbon fibers or ceramics fibers with a largediameter, or a strap-like, fiber-reinforced prepreg, or a strap-like,fiber-reinforced prepreg reinforced by metal or ceramics (Such prepregis similar to a prepreg for forming a rod tube). Then, fiber-reinforcedprepregs 30 are wound several times thereon. The prepreg 330 is formedby impregnating reinforced fibers (e.g. carbon fibers) with athermosetting resin or the like. Therefore, according to an ordinarymethod, this assembly is pressurized and heated to form the rod tube.

Referring to FIG. 23 showing the cross-section (along the lineXXIII—XXIII of FIG. 22) of the rod tube obtained after the heatingoperation, a resin 326 flows from the fiber-reinforced prepregs 330 intogaps adjacent to the fishline guide member 324 during the hot molding,thereby integrally connecting the fishline guide member 324 to the rodtube. The fishline guide member 324 is received in the gap SP formedbetween the side edges 320 e and 320 f of the thick winding member 320,so that the thin soft member 322 is forced into this gap SP. Thepresence of this thin soft member 322 prevents the flowed resin fromforming any corner or angle around the fishline guide member 324, sothat the resin has a smooth surface, as shown in FIG. 23. Thereafter,the mandrel is withdrawn, and the thick winding member 320 and the thinsoft member 322 are removed. Part of the thin soft member 322 mayremain. Thus, the fishline guide 324 is fixedly secured to the rod tube,and projects from the inner surface of the rod tube, and the surface ofthe fishline guide 324 is smooth, and can smoothly guide the fishline.

In this embodiment, although the fishline guide member 324 comprises thesingle wire-like member, and is fixedly secured to the inner surface ofthe rod tube in a spiral, continuous manner, the invention is notlimited to such an arrangement. The thick winding members 320 may bedivided into a plurality of sections 320A, 320B . . . 320H, in whichcase these sections are wound on the mandrel at suitable intervals toform a gap between opposed side edges of any two adjacent sections, andseparate fishline guide members are provided in these gaps,respectively. Thus, the fishline guide member can be replaced by annularor ringshaped guide members. In order to increase the strength ofbonding of the fishline guide member 324 to the inner surface of the rodtube, the fishline guide member 324 may have, for example, asemi-circular transverse cross-section, in which case the fishline guidemember is installed, with its flat side or surface facing the innersurface of the rod tube (that is, with the flat surface facing away fromthe surface of the mandrel).

The fishline guide member 324 may be installed at part of the fishingrod, or may be installed generally over the entire length of the fishingrod. Any other suitable fishing guide member or members formed by othermethods may be mounted within the rod tube.

FIG. 24 is a view explanatory of a second method of the invention. Astrip-like winding member 320 as used in the first method is wound on asurface of a mandrel 310, with its opposite edge portions overlappingeach other. A recess SP, formed at a step portion at the boundarybetween the overlapping portions and open portions of the winding member320, is covered with a soft thin member as used in the first method, andthen a release agent is coated onto this thin soft material. The othersteps are similar to those of the first method.

FIG. 25 is a view showing one step of a third method of the invention. Agroove SP′ is preformed in a width-wise central portion of a thick,strip-like winding member 320′, and this winding member 320′ is woundtightly on a mandrel 310, with its opposite side edges held in contactwith each other. FIG. 26 shows a transverse cross-section of the windingmember 320′ on an enlarged scale. The surface of the groove SP′ issmooth. A release agent is coated onto the winding member 320′, and thena fishline guide member as used in the above embodiments is provided inthe groove SP′, and then fiber-reinforced prepregs are wound thereon.Thereafter, according to an ordinary method, the manufacture of thefishing rod proceeds, and a resin, flowed from the prepregs to thoseregions around the fishline guide, will not form any corner or anglesince the groove SP′ has the smooth surface. After the mandrel 310 iswithdrawn, the winding member 320′ is removed. In this embodiment, thegroove SP′ is not formed in that portion of the winding member 320′disposed at the front end portion of the mandrel 310. The reason forthis is that the fishline guide is not formed at the front end portionof the rod tube which is adapted to be connected to an associated rodtube.

Preferably, the depth of the groove SP′ is not less than 0.3 mm, and thewidth thereof is suitably determined depending on the width of thefishline guide member, an inclination angle and so on. Preferably, thethickness of the winding member 320′ is not less than 0.5 mm.Preferably, a thin soft member as described above is provided to coverthe wound winding member so as to prevent the production of burrs due toa gap formed between the opposite side edges of the wound windingmember. If the surface of the groove SP′ is not smooth, the groove iscovered with a soft thin member as described for the first and secondmethods.

Instead of using the strip-like winding member 320′, there may be used asheet-like winding member 320″ having grooves SP″, and this sheet-likewinding member is wound once on the mandrel (see FIG. 27). In this case,the size of the sheet is so determined that the opposite edges will notoverlap each other. If there is formed a gap between the opposite edges,this gap is covered with a thin soft member as described above. In thiswinding member 320″, the grooves SP″ are interrupted at a region WT, anda water passage is formed on that portion of the inner surface of therod tube corresponding to this interrupting region. In the aboveproduction methods, such a water passage can be formed by closing partof the gap SP or by interrupting the gap SP′.

As is clear from the above description referencing FIGS. 22-27, in thepresent invention, there can be provided the intra-line fishing rod inwhich the fibers of the rod tube are prevented from meandering, and thefishline guide member stably projects from the inner surface of the rodtube, and the fishline can be smoothly guided, thus reducing theresistance to the passage of the fishline.

While the foregoing invention has been shown and described withreference to the embodiments of the appended drawings, it will beunderstood by those having skill in the art that various changes in formand detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An intra-line fishing rod having a passagewayextending along a longitudinal axis for passing a fishline through aninterior of said fishing rod, said fishing rod comprising: a rod tubecomprising a synthetic resin as a matrix and reinforced by reinforcedfibers, said rod tube having inner and outer surfaces extending alongthe longitudinal axis, said inner surface defining said passageway forpassing said fishline through said interior said fishing rod; a fishlineguide for guiding said fishline within said rod tube along saidlongitudinal axis, said fishline guide projecting from the inner surfaceof said rod tube and said fishline guide being connected integrally tosaid rod tube as a consequence of thermal molding of the rod tube, saidfishline guide having an outer peripheral surface abutting the innersurface of said rod tube between a front and rear side of said fishlineguide; and a cushioning means formed respectively at said front and saidrear side of said fishline guide to form a connection between said rodtube and said fishline guide so as to reduce stress concentration whensaid rod tube is flexed.
 2. The intra-line fishing rod according toclaim 1, wherein said rod tube is composed predominantly ofaxially-extending fibers.
 3. The intra-line fishing rod according toclaim 1, wherein said cushioning means are formed by a flow of syntheticresin on said front and rear sides of said guide.
 4. The intra-linefishing rod according to claim 1, wherein said cushioning means issmaller in bending modulus than a contact region of said guidepositioned for contact with said fishline.
 5. The intra-line fishing rodaccording to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said guides are formed of asynthetic resin, and are spaced at short intervals along longitudinalaxis of said rod tube.
 6. The intra-line fishing rod according to claim1, wherein at least one of said inner surface of said rod tube adjacentsaid fishline guide, and said contact portion of said fishline guide isformed into a mirror-like smooth surface having a surface roughness ofnot more than about 2 μ.
 7. The intra-line fishing rod according toclaim 1, wherein said fishline guide spirally extends continuously alongsaid longitudinal axis, and an annular guide member is provided at anend of said continuous guide.
 8. The intra-line fishing rod according toclaim 7, wherein an inner diameter of said annular guide member issmaller than an adjacent inner diameter of that portion of saidcontinuous guide disposed adjacent to said annular guide member.
 9. Anintra-line fishing rod having a passageway extending along alongitudinal axis for passing a fishline through an interior of saidfishing rod, said fishing rod comprising: a rod tube comprising asynthetic resin as a matrix and reinforced by reinforced fibers, saidrod tube having inner and outer surfaces extending along thelongitudinal axis, said inner surface defining said passageway forpassing said fishline through said interior said fishing rod; a fishlineguide for guiding said fishline within said rod tube along saidlongitudinal axis, said fishline guide formed integrally with andprojects from the inner surface of said rod tube, said fishline guidehaving an outer peripheral surface abutting the inner surface of saidrod tube between a front and rear side of said fishline guide; and acushioning means formed respectively at said front and said rear side ofsaid fishline guide to form a connection between said rod tube and saidfishline guide so as to reduce stress concentration when said rod tubeis flexed, wherein said fishline guide spirally extends continuouslyalong said longitudinal axis.
 10. The intra-line fishing rod accordingto claim 9, wherein said continuous guide extends the entire length ofthe rod tube in the longitudinal direction.
 11. The intra-line fishingrod according to claim 9, wherein said continuous guide extends only aportion of the length of the rod tube in the longitudinal direction. 12.The intra-line fishing rod according to claim 9, wherein a distal endportion of said fishline guide is densely arranged in contact with theinner surface of an end portion of said rod tube over a predeterminedlength along said longitudinal axis of said rod tube.
 13. An intra-linefishing rod having a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis forpassing a fishline through an interior of said fishing rod, said fishingrod comprising: a rod tube comprising a synthetic resin as a matrix andreinforced by reinforced fibers, said rod tube having inner and outersurfaces extending along the longitudinal axis, said inner surfacedefining said passageway for passing said fishline through said interiorsaid fishing rod; a fishline guide for guiding said fishline within saidrod tube along said longitudinal axis, said fishline guide formedintegrally with and projects from the inner surface of said rod tube,said fishline guide having an outer peripheral surface abutting theinner surface of said rod tube between a front and rear side of saidfishline guide; and a cushioning means formed respectively at said frontand said rear side of said fishline guide to form a connection betweensaid rod tube and said fishline guide so as to reduce stressconcentration when said rod tube is flexed, wherein a curved surface ofa bottom portion of said fishline guide connected to the inner surfaceof the rod tube is defined by a concavely-curved surface adjoining saidinner surface, and a convexly-curved surface extending from saidconcavely-curved surface and covering the top and a side surface of saidguide.
 14. An intra-line fishing rod having a passageway extending alonga longitudinal axis for passing a fishline through an interior of saidfishing rod, said fishing rod comprising: a rod tube comprising asynthetic resin as a matrix and reinforced by reinforced fibers, saidrod tube having inner and outer surfaces extending along thelongitudinal axis, said inner surface defining said passageway forpassing said fishline through said interior said fishing rod; a fishlineguide for guiding said fishline within said rod tube along saidlongitudinal axis, said fishline guide formed integrally with andprojects from the inner surface of said rod tube, said fishline guidehaving an outer peripheral surface abutting the inner surface of saidrod tube between a front and rear side of said fishline guide; and acushioning means formed respectively at said front and said rear side ofsaid fishline guide to form a connection between said rod tube and saidfishline guide so as to reduce stress concentration when said rod tubeis flexed, wherein said fishline guide is disposed within an annularrecess formed on said inner surface of said rod tube.
 15. An intra-linefishing rod having a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis forpassing a fishline through an interior of said fishing rod, said fishingrod comprising: a rod tube comprising a synthetic resin as a matrix andreinforced by reinforced fibers, said rod tube having inner and outersurfaces extending along the longitudinal axis, said inner surfacedefining said passageway for passing said fishline through said interiorsaid fishing rod; a fishline guide for guiding said fishline within saidrod tube along said longitudinal axis, said fishline guide formedintegrally with and projects from the inner surface of said rod tube,said fishline guide having an outer peripheral surface abutting theinner surface of said rod tube between a front and rear side of saidfishline guide; and a cushioning means formed respectively at said frontand said rear side of said fishline guide to form a connection betweensaid rod tube and said fishline guide so as to reduce stressconcentration when said rod tube is flexed, wherein said fishline guideis formed of a synthetic resin having a plurality of circumferentiallyarranged reinforcing fibers embedded therein.
 16. An intra-line fishingrod having a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis for passinga fishline through an interior of said fishing rod, said fishing rodcomprising: a rod tube comprising a synthetic resin as a matrix andreinforced by reinforced fibers, said rod tube having inner and outersurfaces extending along the longitudinal axis, said inner surfacedefining said passageway for passing said fishline through said interiorsaid fishing rod, wherein said rod tube includes an inner reinforcing(12B); an outer reinforcing layer (12A); a body layer (12H) disposedbetween said reinforcing outer layer (12A) and said inner reinforcinglayer; and a cushioning layer (33) formed of resin disposed between saidinner reinforcing layer and said body layer; a fishline guide forguiding said fishline within said rod tube along said longitudinal axis,said fishline guide formed integrally with and projects from the innersurface of said rod tube and mounted proximate said cushioning layer;and a cushioning means formed between said guide and a body layer ofsaid rod tube to form a connection therebetween thereby reducing stressconcentration when said rod tube is flexed.
 17. An inter-line fishingrod having a passage extending along a longitudinal axis for passing afishline through an interior of said fishing rod, said fishing rodcomprising: a rod tube thermally molded of a synthetic resin as a matrixand reinforced fibers as a reinforcement, said tube having inner andouter surfaces extending along the longitudinal axis, said inner surfacedefining said passage for passing said fishline through said interior ofsaid fishing rod; and a fishline guide for guiding said fishline withinsaid rod tube along said longitudinal axis, said fishline guide beingconnected integrally to said rod tube as a consequence of thermalmolding of the rod tube, said fishline guide having a central region andfront and rear regions each having a resin content higher than a resincontent of said central region.
 18. An inter-line fishing rod accordingto claim 17, wherein said fishline guide is thermally moldedsimultaneously when said rod tube is thermally molded.
 19. An inter-linefishing rod according to claim 17, wherein at least said front and rearregions of said fishline guide are thermally molded simultaneously whensaid rod tube is thermally molded.
 20. An inter-line fishing rodaccording to claim 19, wherein said front and rear regions are formed ofsynthetic resin of said rod tube.
 21. An inter-line fishing rodaccording to claim 17, wherein said fishline guide has an outer sideregion located radially between said central region and said rod tube,said outer side region having a resin content higher than a resincontent of said central region.
 22. An inter-line fishing rod accordingto claim 17, wherein each of said front and rear regions decreases inthickness progressively away from the central region.
 23. An intra-linefishing rod having a passageway extending alone a longitudinal axis forpassing a fishline through an interior of said fishing rod, said fishingrod comprising: a rod tube comprising a synthetic resin as a matrix andreinforced by reinforced fibers, said rod tube having inner and outersurfaces extending along the longitudinal axis, said inner surfacedefining said passageway for passing said fishline through said interiorsaid fishing rod; a fishline guide for guiding said fishline within saidrod tube along said longitudinal axis, said fishline guide formedintegrally with and projects from the inner surface of said rod tube;and a cushioning means formed between said guide and a body layer ofsaid rod tube for reducing stress concentration when said rod tube isflexed, wherein said cushioning means is smaller in bending modulus thana contact region of said guide positioned for contact with said fishlineand said fishline guide comprises synthetic resin as a matrix; and oneof a synthetic resin region and a synthetic resin-reinforcement mixtureregion having a higher synthetic resin content is provided respectivelyat front and rear sides of said contact region and between said contactregion and a body layer of said rod tube having the fibers orientedgenerally in the direction of an axis of said rod tube, wherein saidcontact region of said guide has a higher content of a reinforcingmaterial.